Vanish

Chapter 23

Another morning, another day, Ash thought as he finished his breakfast two days later. Even though he had been home for a little while, his mother was still giving him that look. He hadn't told her anything else. In fact, he hadn't really talked to her at all. He knew that she was worried about him, but he just didn't feel like talking. He spent the last two days in his room. Redecorating. He was sick of the little kid crap. So Ash had thought 'out with the old and in with the new.' His room didn't really look that much different, but at least it didn't have all the little kid stuff in it. He spent his free hours listening to music on his portable CD player and trying not to think about what happened. Because as much as he didn't want to admit it, the whole thing was still eating him up inside, and he knew his mother knew it.

"Ash, phone for you!" Delia called from the other room.

Ash got up and went to the phone, where Professor Oak's face filled the screen.

"What's up, Professor?" Ash asked, his voice strangely monotone.

"It's your Torkoal. I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with him, but every time I run a check-up on him, he always comes out perfect. But he's being crying almost nonstop since you left... I was wondering if you could come down and help me out, because if he keeps crying much longer, he will get sick."

Ash nodded. "On my way."
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
"You see? He won't stop crying. I don't know if it's because he misses you or..." Professor Oak shrugged. "And as you can see, it seems that Torkoal really found a friend in Bayleef."

Ash smiled wryly, seeing his Bayleef sitting next to Torkoal, trying to help him out and whispering comforting words.

"In fact," Professor Oak continued, "an hour or two after you left the other day, all of your pokémon started acting strangely. They seem..." The professor trailed off, looking at Ash and thinking, They're acting like you're acting now.

"Don't worry, Professor, I'll help out." And Ash went down to Torkoal and Bayleef, seating himself down next to Torkoal and placing a hand on his shell.

"Bay," Bayleef said, pulling out a vine and rubbing Ash.

Ash smiled slightly. "Hey..." He rubbed Torkoal's shell. "C'mon, buddy... I know you're sad, but...but..." He took a deep breath. "I'm really, really, crushed about this. But you don't see me crying. Not that I don't cry, but you don't see it. It's called putting up a brave front. You've got to try it, Torkoal. I'm not saying you can stop crying forever, because sometimes it's okay, and sometimes you can't help it. But you gotta try to be brave for all of us." He gestured to Bayleef. "See, Bayleef here isn't crying, even though I'm sure she's crushed as well. But she's being brave to help you out, and maybe one day you can do the same."

Torkoal looked up at Ash, his tears stopping. "Koal...torkoal..."

"You've got to tell everyone to be brave. We'll get through this..."

Torkoal got on his feet and nodded to Ash. He walked away with his head high, planning on telling the other pokémon what Ash had just said.

Bayleef looked back to Ash, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Leef bay bay? Leefbay...l-leef?"

Ash rubbed her back. "It's okay, Bayleef... It's-it's my fault, anyway..."

"Leef?!" Bayleef took out one of her vines and whacked it lightly against Ash's arm. "Leef bayleef leef leef!"

Ash laughed a little. "I know you think that it's not, but I just...I just don't think that." Bayleef gave Ash a look. "Yet," Ash hastily added. He nodded off in the direction where Torkoal had gone off in. "Take care of Torkoal for me, Bayleef. Make sure that he and the other pokémon know that they've got to hang on."